Author: cronindickson
Classroom visitor
We had a visitor today.
It’s the end of May
Can you believe it?
Here’s a quick update:
reading: we’re reading a graphic novel of Macbeth. The students are loving it!
math: we’ve worked through scatter plots,equations of a line, finding the intercept, and how to read a word problem
social studies: we’ve continued to study the gov’t including the Supreme Court and are moving onto local government
Science: in bio we’ve been working through evolution theory and punnet squares.
We’re gearing up for our July program. Some things to think about:
-if you have a Charlie card or a tap card bring it on field trips (we will send home a calendar with dates
-there will be swimming in the town pool. Please don’t forget sun block!
-we will continue to make updates as June goes on!
Yoga 4 Classrooms
Throughout the year, our students have been learning ways to calm or energize their bodies as a way to prepare for academics or regulate their bodies and emotions. We have been using the curriculum Yoga4Classrooms developed by Lisa Flynn. The kids really love it and have been beginning to independenly integrate it into their schoolday.
March Classroom Plans
It is March…
Here is an update for all of our classes:
Reading: Most of the students are reading the book Milkweed right now by Jerry Spinelli, it follows the life of a young boy living in Warsaw, Poland during WWII. A couple of students have already read this book and they are reading Stargirl also by Jerry Spinelli. Both groups are working on reading comprehension, making connections to the text, vocabulary skills, and writing essays based on the stories.
Math: In math the students have been working on different aspects of geometry. The students are learning how to use formulas and plug numbers into the formulas. We do remind them when solving any problem to: 1. Find the Formula, 2. Plug in all known information, 3. solve the formula using PEMDAS, 4. Label the answer. The students are going to start working on using the coordinate plane to solve problems involving graphing.
Biology: We finished a unit about Cells and have moved onto Taxonomy. This is the study of how all living things are organized. The students have learned about the broad way animals are classified to the areas that make us all different (ie lions are separate from bears).
Social Studies: During social studies we have been studying how our government works. The students have learned about the responsibilities of the different branches of government. We have also been discussing current events, our rights and responsibilities as citizens and the presidential election. The students have been VERY opinionated about who they like and dislike. We are working on being tolerant of other people’s opinions and learning all sides of issues.
Character Ed: During character ed we have talked about how we perceive right and wrong behavior. We have also talked about how people who are in public places (ie politicians) demonstrate right and wrong behavior. The students are learning about tolerance and how to identify with people who are different from us.
Chronozoom
Face Time Interview Skills
We had the opportunity to interview a director of several shows on a sports network. It was neat to see the “behind the scenes” of a television studio. We were able to see several studios where different broadcasts are taped. We even watched a live show!! (We had to be quiet during that part). We were able to watch the control room during the live show, it was really busy in there, and we saw another control room with a lot of screens and buttons. It looks like an engineer would have to work in there to get it all right!!
Do you like what you do?
Yes. He loves what he does.
Do you have to work with a lot of people?
Yes. He has to collaborate with a lot of different types of people, who do different types of jobs to make the TV shows.
What’s the most exciting thing you’ve worked on?
Meeting Mike Tyson and sitting rink side for one of his last fights.
Was this your first job?
No. His first job was raking leaves.
What are your goals?
To make a good television is his daily show. Eventually he wants to be the boss.
What hours do you typically work?
Typically, 9-5. However, during the regular season, he may have to work late due to the West Coast games.
Do you have any superstitions?
Before every show he gets a high five from another staff person. He also holds a pen throughout the show, even though he doesn’t use it.
Is being a producer/director hard?
Yes. There are a lot of skills needed to these jobs. He has to think-on-his-feet, collaborate with others, utilize time management skills, and make sure that everything runs smoothly.
How long does it take to produce something?
It can take a few hours. He has to sit through a couple of meetings to determine what will be said and done during the show.
What does your average day look like?
Typically, he gets in and has to go to a few meetings. Many of his shows tape live in the afternoon.
Have you ever made a mistake?
Yes. One time a cameraman told him he was leaving and pointed his camera at the ceiling. He continued to go through shots on the live TV and ended up using the ceiling shot from the camera that no longer had a cameraman. Oops!!
Cell Analogies
The students have been learning a lot about cells. They have studied cell parts and organelles and learned about their duties within a cell. To further enhance their understanding, they were asked to come up with analogies of everyday objects that served a similar function to a part of a cell or organelle. Here are some creative examples:
The cell membrane is like a gate because it controls what comes in and out of the cell.
The nucleus is like a teacher because it has the information the cell needs.
The cytoplasm is like the glue that holds on acrylic nails. Cytoplasm keep the organelles in place.
We also got to see the students artistic side. They did a nice job drawing/coloring cells and putting posters together. Keep up the good work!
Apps: Technology at Home
Many parents request information about technology to use at home with their child. Many also request information about how to maintain control over the use of technology. One thing that we would suggest is finding something that works for you. It may be a contract that you both sign, this would include the expectations of using the internet along with some precursors to using the internet (ie chores done, homework done, etc).
There are also apps that help teach time management (ie they shut the device/app/ etc off after a certain time period or during a certain time period). For example:
OurPact – Parental Control and Screen Time Management
By ParentsWare
There are also many great apps for different topics that we cover in class.
Math:
Mc-Graw Hill Fractions
Mc-Graw Hill Top it (addition facts)
Mc-Graw Hill Divisibility Dash
Mc-Graw Hill Beat the Computer (Multiplication)
Meteor Math (using addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division)
Toshi Finance (banking/budgeting app)
Checkbook (banking/budgeting) by Appxy
Tip & Tax (by Rob Brooks)
It’s January!
Happy New Year! We hope that everyone enjoyed the diverse weather we had over break and were able to spend quality time together.
Upcoming info:
No School: January 18th
1/2 Day: Thursday January 14th
February Break: Feb. 13-21
What are we doing in classes?
English: We are working our way through a unit that covers advertisements that we see around us and how we react to them. We will be starting a persuasive essay. Before break we wrote a restaurant review including words and phrases to convince people to go there! By the end of the month we will be starting a novel.
Math: We are starting geometry. We will be covering lines, segments, plans, points, perimeter and area this month. We may venture into graphing or wait until February.
Biology: The students have worked on cell parts and definitions of the cell parts. They are now working on the building blocks of a molecule including: proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids.
Social Studies: We continue to work on learning about the different branches of government. The students are learning about what it takes to be a senator or Representative of their state. We are looking at the jobs and responsibilities of the workers.
Just a reminder: It is cold out! Please remind your child to wear a warm coat, gloves and a hat… Especially on days that we go uptown. We will continue to walk uptown until the temperature is in the teens!
Mrs Cronin & Mrs Dickson 